Jamal: Well, you told me
to come over here, and the phone
just went dead.
I don't know.

Marissa: Oh, yeah, I hung up.

Jamal: You hung up?
Why?

Marissa: I got a surprise
for you.

Jamal: Ok, what is this big
surprise?

Marissa: Take a good,
good, good, good look.

Jamal: Well,
there's no problem over there.

Marissa: Something's
different.
What's different?
What's different?

Jamal: What, besides this big
grin on your face?

Marissa: Come on, come on.
Guess, guess, guess, guess.

Jamal: Ok, ok.
Um --
I don't know.
Come on, you're killing me.

Marissa: Ok, ok, ok, ok.
You are looking at the new star
reporter for the
"port charles herald"!
They hired me!
They hired me!

Jamal: Are you serious?
Oh, my god!

Ricky: I just want
you to take it easy, ok?
You're probably still shaken up
after being kidnapped by that
thing.

Karen: Lancelot.
And he didn't kidnap me.

Ricky: I saw that thing grab
you and then take off, karen.
It was freaky.

Karen: Look, I know what it
probably looked like,
but I actually -- I felt safe.

Ricky: Why?
Because you're a woman
and he doesn't hurt women?
You don't know that, karen.
Come here.
I'm just glad that you're
safe now.
And I won't let you out
of my sight like that again.

Ricky: Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey.
Are you sure you're ok?
I mean, to do this?

Karen: Definitely.

Rafe: So let's think about
this.
The avatar is never seen
without the shroud, right?

Ian: As far as we know, yeah.

Rafe: Yeah, but there have
been accounts of this thing
for centuries, and i have never
heard or read anything about
the avatar without it also
talking about the shroud.
It's just the way everyone
describes seeing him.

Ian: Right, and it's the same
in port charles.

Rafe: Right.
Which makes you have to ask
the question, why?
Why does the avatar need it?

Ian: I would imagine
to conceal the host.

Rafe: But there are millions
of different ways it could hide.
It could even switch
to different disguises, but it
doesn'T.
It always uses the shroud,
the same shroud.

Ian: So you think it's
for protection?

Rafe: Well, or the host gets
its power from it.
See, every creature has
a talisman, and I think that
the shroud is the avatar's.

Ian: Ok. Um --

rafe: What?
What is it?

Ian: I'm --
I just --
I was just thinking about
something that alison said
to jack about the time when
we were all in the park and --

rafe: What?

Ian: She said that
she couldn't think clearly when
she was inside the cloak,
that her mind was cut off
in some way.

Rafe: Ok, then that's it.
The shroud has to be where
the avatar gets its powers.
It's like a lifeline.

Ian: So --

rafe: If we get the shroud
off, then the host will be
revealed.
And if we're right,
then we destroy the shroud,
the avatar will lose all
its powers and it can be
destroyed.

Avatar: Beg as i freshen
your memory of who the true
father of your child is.

Livvie: No. God, no.

Avatar: Boo.

[Captioning made possible
by abc, inc., And soapnet]

avatar: Beautiful.
You are so beautiful.

Avatar: A little shaky,
aren't we?
I'm glad to see you're still
affected from our last meeting.

Avatar: Good.
Because things are finally
working out for me and i don't
want you screwing anything up.

Livvie: Well, I'm -- i'm glad
things are working out for you.

Avatar: I bet you are.
My little cash giveaway
in the park got the public back
on my side.
They know I only want to do good
things in this town.
Did you know the cops are even
on my side?

Livvie: No, but that is --
that's great.

Avatar: Of course it is.
Because if i'm happy,
your secret is safe.

Livvie: I was just --
I was just thinking,
since your life is going
so great now that --

avatar: Spit it out, livvie.

Livvie: Well, you see,
my life is going really,
really good, too.
And maybe -- look, maybe
we could just, like,
kind of leave each other alone
now, frank.
Please. Please.
I don't see any reason for us
to interact anymore.
I mean, this isn't your baby
and you don't want to claim it,
remember?

Avatar: For the record,
this is my baby.
But, no, i don't want the child.

Livvie: Good.
That's great.
So we can just go our separate
ways.

Avatar: Wrong again.
You're going to help me.

Livvie: Help you?
Why?

Avatar: Do i have to remind
you of the other option, livvie?
My job is to get rid of evil
people, and you certainly
qualify.

Livvie: But I don't
understand.
How can I help you?

Avatar: By letting me know
what your beloved husband is
up to.

Livvie: Oh, so you're asking
me to spy on rafe?

Avatar: Not asking, telling.
It's what you will do.

Marissa: So, here i have this
great job, and the last thing
i want to do is work.

Jamal: How did that happen?

Marissa: I don't know.
Somehow there's this guy who
really gets to me.

Jamal: Oh.

Marissa: And every time he's
around, I can't concentrate
on anything else.

Jamal: Want to know what
got to me?

Marissa: I'm hoping it's me.

Jamal: Yes, but,
well, you know, when chris
ramsey was in the park
and he was giving away,
like, a million dollars in cash,
and, i mean, you had this phat
story just sitting right
in your lap, like,
career-breaking --

marissa: And I came looking
for you instead.

Jamal: Yeah.

Marissa: Yeah.
That actually kind of surprised
me, too.
I've been so focused on trying
to get my career started that
i've never thought about
or given much time to dating.
But something about you is just
different from the very
beginning.
All I know is that i just
couldn't let you walk away.
I couldn't do that.
I didn't want to blow it.

Jamal: Well, you didn't.

Marissa: I didn't?

Jamal: Actually, I was afraid
that i blew it.
You know, acting like a little
14-year-old kid with this whole
ricky thing going on, so --

marissa: At least i finally
knew that you liked me a little,
too, maybe.

Jamal: I like you more than
a little, and you know that.
It just -- it just felt so good
to matter that much to somebody.
It's just been a long time.

Marissa: I am really excited
about this job.
I'm so psyched.
But honestly, the best thing
about coming to port charles
has been meeting you, jamal.

Jamal: I want to make love
to you.

Ian: Let's say this shroud is
there to protect the avatar,
yeah?
How do we trap him long enough
to rip it off his head?

Rafe: I'm not quite sure.
You got any ideas?

Ian: No, I don'T.
I mean, what do we know
about him?
He likes -- I'd say he needs
people's adoration to do
his work.

Rafe: Yeah, and we've
definitely interfered with that.

Ian: Interfered a lot.
And I think we've pushed him
to a point where he took risks
that he doesn't like to take.

Rafe: Ok, keep coming.
What are you saying?

Ian: Why is he here in this
place?
Why doesn't he go some other
place where he won't be
interfered with?

Rafe: That's a good question.
The host's ties to this town
must be very strong.
There's got to be something.

Ian: Bear with me on this.
One of his ties to the town are
a woman.

Rafe: I guess maybe that
could be.
If that is, then we've got
to find out who she is.

Ian: Yes, and we could maybe
get close enough to this thing
to deshroud him.

Rafe: Right.
Well, there's a lot of ifs,
but it's a good place to start,
I guess.
Look, I actually got to get
home, make sure livvie's ok.

Ian: All right.
I'm going to go see a friend
of mine.

Rafe: Well, we'll talk later,
brainstorm?

Ian: Sounds good.

Rafe: All right.
What is it, avatar?
What's keeping you here, huh?

Ricky: I love listening
to your heartbeat.
It races so fast after we've
made love.
Are you as tired as I am?

Karen: Oh.

Ricky: What?

Karen: I totally forgot.
I promised to take over a shift
tonight.

Ricky: You're kidding me.

Karen: No, no, it was
a last-minute switch,
and I forgot to write it down.

Ricky: Ok, fine.
I'll drive you.

Karen: No, no, then i won't
have my own car at the hospital.

Ricky: Karen, i don't like
you driving at night alone.

Karen: Look, I'll pull up
right to the entrance and I'll
get one of the guards to walk me
in, ok?

Ricky: Ok.
Hey -- call me, all right?

Karen: I will.

Ricky: All right,
all right, all right.
Don't screw this up, garza.

Livvie: I cannot spy on rafe,
frank.
I just can't.

Avatar: This isn't up
for negotiation, livvie.

Livvie: But he's finally
starting to fall in love
with me.

Avatar: Right.

Livvie: He is.
He is.
Things are changing between us,
and I don't want to mess
that up.

Avatar: If you want to keep
this sham of a marriage intact,
then don't disobey me.

Livvie: Look, I've tried
to stop rafe from coming
after you.

Avatar: And failed
over and over again.
Your only use to me now is
information.

Livvie: Ok, but if rafe isn't
going to leave you alone,
wouldn't it make more sense
for you to just leave?

Avatar: You'd like that,
wouldn't you?

Livvie: This isn't about me.

Avatar: Everything is about
you, livvie.

Livvie: No, it's just
you have done so much good
in this town.
This is all because of you.
And think about it, there are
so many other towns,
countries that need you.
Why stay here if rafe is
a threat to you?

Avatar: Rafe won't be
a threat to me because you're
going to make me aware
of his every move.

Karen: Oh, eve.
I miss you so much, girlfriend.
You know, it's really hard not
having my best friend here
because I could really use
your advice right now.
You wouldn't even recognize
my life, so much has changed.
I'm with a new guy, ricky garza.
He's pretty great.
We have a lot of fun together,
and about a half-hour ago we had
the best sex ever.
But the whole time, I was
thinking about another man.
I know it's crazy because
i don't even know who he is.
I mean, everybody calls him
lancelot because he's been
protecting all the women
in the town.
And he has this sense of purpose
and mystery about him.
I can't get him out of my head.
And I don't know how,
but I think I've affected him,
too.
And even though he protects
everyone, I really think
he desires me.
God, i know this sounds
so bizarre, but last night
lancelot carried me away even
though i wasn't in any danger.
He took me to the place where
he lives.
And it was so exhilarating.
I can't even explain it.
I really think i'm the only
woman he's let in this much.
He told me i'm beautiful.
And when he touched me, it was
so electric.
I don't know what it is
but I just can't let him go.
And the funny thing is i think
he feels the same way about me.

Livvie: It is karen.
God, you're still in love
with her?
But isn't she with ricky now?
I mean, doesn't that hurt more
to stay since you know you can't
have her?

Avatar: Shut up!

Livvie: I'm sorry.

Avatar: Don't talk about
karen.
Don't ever mention her name.

Livvie: Ok.
You're hurting me.

Avatar: You don't know what
pain is.

&gt&gt Stay tuned for scenes from
the next "port charles: Torn."

&gt&gt On the next "port charles" --

jack: I will sleep
on the couch.
Alison, this is really not
a big deal.

Alison: Yes, it is a big deal
because I think that you think
we're going to sleep together.